How To Make Coffee Without a Coffee Machine

Enjoy your morning cup of joe without resorting to instant coffee!

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I am not a coffee snob—or, I wasn't until I had my normal coffee taken away from me. At university, I usually have my Keurig or a regular coffee machine. However, disaster struck when I went to Vancouver for a summer job and the girl I was staying with broke the news that I would have to make coffee without a coffee maker like I was so used to.

My immediate reaction was to try instant coffee—$1.25 instant coffee from the Dollarama. After drinking a few cups of it, I can honestly say it tastes like sour, burnt toast. I had to throw it out. This is where I got creative with my coffee concoctions

1. Cowboy Coffee

All you need for Cowboy Coffee is ground coffee beans, a heat source, a pan/pot and your favourite mug! Fill the pan with 1-2 mugs worth of water and boil it. Once it comes to a boil, add the coffee and turn off the heat. Wait for about five minutes, make sure all the grounds have sunk to the bottom of the mixture, and carefully pour the coffee into your mug, leaving behind all the grounds in the pot.

Pros: A simple solution that doesn't take too long.

Cons: I now have this coffee sludge water that I have to get rid of. I dumped it into the compost and then had to rinse out the pot. A little bit went down the drain but it wasn't too bad.

Rating: 6/10

2. DIY Coffee Filter

For this technique, you will need a kettle, a mug, and some sort of filter to secure over the top of the cup. This can be an actual coffee filter, a paper towel, or even a cloth like a handkerchief. I secured my filter on with an elastic band and placed my coffee grounds in the filter. I boiled some water in a kettle and poured that through the filter.

Pros: Fewer dishes to wash—If you use a coffee filter or paper towel, you can just throw the whole thing out after!

Cons: I have the patience of a hamster, but I genuinely think most people would find this process annoying. You can only pour small amounts of water into the filter at a time before it overflows. It probably doesn't take any longer than the other processes, but you have to constantly pour the water.

Rating: 7/10

3. Teabag

Julie Lau

Put your coffee in a teabag! When I first read about this, I was in total disbelief that I hadn't thought this up on my own to make coffee without a coffee maker. You can even make a makeshift teabag out of coffee filters by simply tying them closed with an elastic.

Pros: It's an easy solution with little to no clean-up.

Cons: It can be a little more expensive to buy refillable tea bags, or it can be annoying to make your own.

Rating: 8/10

4. Improvised French Press

Jocelyn Hsu

You're going to need coffee grounds, hot water and two mugs. Put your coffee grounds into mug #1 with enough hot water to make them wet. After 30 seconds, add the rest of the hot water. Wait for four minutes as the coffee steeps, and then slowly and carefully pour it into mug #2, leaving the grounds behind.

Pros: This brew is richer and tastier than other methods.

Cons: This takes longer and leaves a mess behind in mug #1.

Rating: 7/10

5. Instant Coffee

Amy Cho

Instant coffee is the least appealing beverage in the world, but sometimes it's the easiest. There is no mess and no waste, and some more expensive brands actually taste like coffee. Add about a tablespoon of the powder to your mug with boiling water, stir, and enjoy.

some brands of instant coffee that I recommend are Starbucks, Maxwell House, Nescafe, and Tim Horton's French Vanilla.

Pros: It's so easy. This is 100x easier than any other method.

Cons: It doesn't taste great, and sometimes it doesn't even taste like coffee. I have had instant coffee where the taste didn't even resemble coffee. It's also expensive to buy good instant coffee.

Rating: 5/10

Kelsey Emery

In my day to day life, I use the teabag method to make my morning brew. If I'm feeling a little fancy, I take the time to improvise my french press method. However, I refuse to resort to instant coffee after the terrible experience I had. If you are forced to make coffee without a coffee maker, use these methods instead of admitting defeat.